"I just got a System message that said my core would crash within the hour due to my core energy being insufficient for the current load. I'm guessing that confirms Mel's fears, and I need to get back into the simulator immediately?" I asked, worried about what would happen if I delayed this any longer.

"Prolly something those that crack their core see before the end. I ain't never heard of it though. I think we've gotta pause the conversation while Dave does a few of his simulations," Mel said.

"Fascinating. Who knew my death would lead to such new potential for experimentation? Do you actually die if your core crashes? We also need to consider that Dave has his soul energy as well…" Karlinovo started to say before Mel cut him off.

"Dave ain't got time for this right now. Get yer ass back to the simulator," Mel bellowed, his rage shifting his colors deep red.

"Going," I replied, having already leapt from my chair. I raced back to the workshop as quickly as I could. The seconds ticking down and not wanting to chance the possibility of losing my strength before I could refortify, I ran the simulator the moment I was in the chair.

It was good that I had, because as the simulation ended, I felt my body slump forward. That had taken a great deal out of me, far more than it should have already. I triggered the fortification, hoping to fix how I felt.

Core Fortification Underway. Skill Evolution Underway. The following skills have evolved. -\Skill\Dungeon Simulation {25}

-\Skill\Combat Simulation {0}

Combat Simulation allows you, through the use of a System terminal, to replay any System-recognized combat experience you have encountered. Furthermore, the skill cap has been raised to fifty in order to allow for different restrictions to be placed on the simulations. This will allow you to push for even higher gains.

New Quest Unlocked. -\Quest\Squad Training {10/50 Floors} Climb the Arena, not just because you need to, but because of the further training it will provide. Once you clear fifty of the floors with your squad, you will be rewarded with another evolution to the Combat Simulation skill. Skill Evolution Complete. Core Fortification Complete. -\Core Grade {D}

"Ya alright?" I had heard the question, but it took me a moment to really process the words again.

Everything around me was louder and somehow clearer. Even the smells of the room were hitting my nostrils in ways I had never experienced before. What the hell was going on now?

I opened my mouth to reply, but the tastes in the air instead caused me to cough several times before I could. "Something is wrong. All my senses seem hyper-aware all of a sudden. Hard to focus." I finally got the words out and spotted Mel in the room with me. I could hear the others coming in now.

"Just breathe, yer body ain't happy at what ya just did ta it," Mel replied.

"What did I do?" I asked. That had been a mistake. More coughs erupted, and my head swam even more.

"Not entirely sure, got a theory though. So when someone transcends, they find it easier ta push their attributes faster. Ya aren't really doing that, but it's possible anytime yer in a state with an incoming core crash, any training you do during that period will have a more pronounced effect," Mel replied.

I forced myself to take several deep breaths while I closed my eyes. I pulled up a chat window in an attempt to further drown out the overwhelming sensations of the world around me.

Dave: Corey, are you doing okay? Did any of this affect you?

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

Corey: I am fine now. I believe I held your core crash from happening instantly, though, without realizing I was doing it.

Dave: What do you mean?

Corey: Your soul-core reaction was running lower than I would normally expect, but at the time, I just assumed it was due to what you were experiencing. I supplemented the reaction by carefully cycling your mana orbs on and off using soul mana, and then feeding the output back into your core. I assumed it would only be needed briefly while your core reaction caught back up to where it was supposed to be from the cracking.

Dave: Ah, so instead you were actually keeping me on my feet entirely, and we didn't notice.

Corey: I don't know if it was entirely, but there is a good chance I elongated it. In the future, if you reduce your core grade again, I think it is best we wait very little time before returning to the simulator.

Karlinovo: This is all so fascinating, so many new areas of research. If fortified core energy can be used to increase the strength of mana orb sockets, that changes a lot. We need to find a way to apply it to the host and not just their creation.

Dave: Yes, but unless we find a way to do it safely, no experimenting on anyone besides the two of us. We can't risk other people's lives.

Karlinovo: Of course. I was thinking my own reformed core, when I do it, will be the best place to start anyway.

Dave: As long as you are okay with the risk, I agree. Okay, I'm going to close this window and try to focus on the world again.

Maud: I don't know what's happening, but good luck! :)

It was slow going, but I managed to clamp down on my senses from going into overdrive. I opened my eyes again, and this time I didn't feel like the world was swimming. Instead, I focused on the table across the room and realized I could count each piece of sawdust sitting on its surface. That was certainly an improvement to my vision.

"Can someone hand me that crowbar, please?" I said, pointing to it hanging above a bench on the wall.

Karlinovo grabbed it and tossed it to me. I held it in both my hands and bent it in half with ease. While I was sure I could have bent it before, I would have struggled doing so. Now, though, I could apparently easily shape it in my hands as I pleased. I twisted it back to where it had started, making a note not to use it again, as I had probably compromised its strength pretty badly with the demonstration.

"Yeah, yer definitely stronger than ya were last time I saw ya fight. Too bad we can't safely train ya like this all the time," Mel said.

"My simulation skill evolved, too. From the description, I think I can now simulate any fight I've ever had. If that includes the Arena, that could be some big experience gains. Oh, and to top it off, I got a quest to climb fifty floors in the Arena to evolve it again," I said, my brain finally clearing enough to remember the other messages I had gotten during the core fortification.

"Damn, a skill evolution without transcending. It's possible, of course, but you don't hear about that very often. Mel's gotta be right about how the System and your body are viewing this core grade regression. It's dangerous as all hell for you, but it's powerful," Pryte added.

"I'm going to assume there's far too much information for you all to just tell me every tiny bit about how the System works as though I were a child. But is there anything important you've still left out?" I asked, getting a bit annoyed with what I didn't know again.

"Dave, are you really going to tell me you don't know that just about anything can be a quest or skill?" Pryte asked, giving me a judging look.

"Dammit, okay, I did know that. I guess I just didn't apply the idea that I could evolve all these things," I replied, feeling a bit guilty about the earlier accusation.

"We can't give you a detailed list of what the System can do, because the reality is the System can do whatever it wants. There seem to be limits, but there are so many examples of it just going around those limits and people having unique abilities that it's impossible to tell you what can be done and what can't. If you were on Eldfisk, well, Yorela was right. I would suggest you enroll for a year or two. The reality here is if it's something you want to do, assume that there is some way within the System to make it happen, even if we have no record of it being done." Elody spoke these words with an air of authority that seemed more at home in a lecture hall than it did in a library, let alone a half-converted garage. And I was glad for it. It made me feel confident in her answer.

"Alright, fair enough, I suppose." My stomach chose that moment to rumble, and I realized just how hungry I was from the day's events. "So, uh, when's dinner?"

"Yeah, on that front, we actually need to have a talk with Glunderlin, Glorp, and Trolke over dinner tonight about city planning. There's a lot of long-term growth we are going to want to start the planning for now," Pryte said

"Yes, especially with the additions of my defensive system, I've been whiteboarding. It would be best to get that out of the way right now, too," Karlinovo added.

"I can live with that, as long as I get to eat while we do it," I said. In truth of all the Empire of Dave related crap I would have to do, laying out a city sounded fun. It wasn't every day you got the chance to play SimCity in real life. "Oh, and I'm pretty sure once we hit the fiftieth floor, I can bring you all into simulations too."

The element of water is often favored by people who consider becoming healers but wish to maintain some combat magic, as it contains some healing magic. Its primary focus is on defense and cleansing of areas, but that shouldn't be assumed to be all it does. Water mages can be extraordinarily dangerous once they gain mastery over the element. Most species are made up of some sort of water, and when your opponent can rip that from your body at a moment's notice, it is incredibly hard to defend against.

Water, the Element of Many Forms by Henjen Klank

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